Microglia activation in Sprague-Dawley rats following lingual nerve transection
Advisor Information
Suzanne Sollars
Location
MBSC Ballroom - Poster #201 - G
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-3-2022 9:00 AM
End Date
4-3-2022 10:15 AM
Abstract
Microglia activation in Sprague-Dawley rats following lingual nerve transection
B. D. ANDERSEN, S. I. SOLLARS
Understanding the science of how cells attempt to recover from nerve injury is a goal at the forefront of neuroscience. Microglia play a pivotal role in brain immune response and repair following neuronal damage. These cells typically react following neural injury by replicating and migrating to the brain’s site of injury in an attempt to aid in cleanup and sequester the damaged tissue components. One model often used to study nerve injury is the rodent taste system, particularly the chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve and touch sensing lingual nerve (LN). Within this model system, it has previously been shown that damage to only the LN or only the CT results in peripheral losses associated with both nerves, demonstrating a highly unusual instance of peripheral nerve interaction given that these nerves are responsible for different sensations in the tongue. Additionally, the CT and LN project to adjacent but distinct regions within the brain suggesting the possibility that the peripheral interaction following damage to a single nerve may instead be due to a shared immune response in the brain following peripheral damage. To examine this, we performed lingual nerve transection in Sprague-Dawley rats and examined microglia immune responses in the adjacent brain regions of both the LN (transected) and CT (intact) for evidence of a shared response. Our results suggest that while there may be a shared central response, it is not specific to just the regions of these nerves but may instead occur more broadly across larger brain regions.
Scheduling Link
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Microglia activation in Sprague-Dawley rats following lingual nerve transection
MBSC Ballroom - Poster #201 - G
Microglia activation in Sprague-Dawley rats following lingual nerve transection
B. D. ANDERSEN, S. I. SOLLARS
Understanding the science of how cells attempt to recover from nerve injury is a goal at the forefront of neuroscience. Microglia play a pivotal role in brain immune response and repair following neuronal damage. These cells typically react following neural injury by replicating and migrating to the brain’s site of injury in an attempt to aid in cleanup and sequester the damaged tissue components. One model often used to study nerve injury is the rodent taste system, particularly the chorda tympani (CT) taste nerve and touch sensing lingual nerve (LN). Within this model system, it has previously been shown that damage to only the LN or only the CT results in peripheral losses associated with both nerves, demonstrating a highly unusual instance of peripheral nerve interaction given that these nerves are responsible for different sensations in the tongue. Additionally, the CT and LN project to adjacent but distinct regions within the brain suggesting the possibility that the peripheral interaction following damage to a single nerve may instead be due to a shared immune response in the brain following peripheral damage. To examine this, we performed lingual nerve transection in Sprague-Dawley rats and examined microglia immune responses in the adjacent brain regions of both the LN (transected) and CT (intact) for evidence of a shared response. Our results suggest that while there may be a shared central response, it is not specific to just the regions of these nerves but may instead occur more broadly across larger brain regions.